Daughter of Darkness
by DemiGirl21
Summary: "I've spent my whole life feeling different from everyone else. I figured out what I really was in a dangerous way. Now, in a world where the dead outnumber the living, being what I am is what's going to keep me, my friends, and my family safe. My name is Mackenzie Lorraine Grimes, and I'm a daughter of Hades, who's surviving in a hell of apocalyptic proportions."
1. The Day It All Changed

**OC** : Mackenzie Lorraine Grimes

 **Actress** : Ksenia Solo

 **Age** : 18 (season 1)

 **Nicknames** : Mak, Kenz, Kenzi, K,

 **Family** : Hades (biological father)

Amanda Walker (biological mother; deceased)

Rick Grimes (adoptive father)

Lori Grimes (adoptive mother)

Carl and Judith Grimes (adoptive siblings)

Bianca DiAngelo (deceased) and Nico DiAngelo (paternal half siblings)

Akuma (Hellhound companion/family dog)

 **Love Interest** : Daryl Dixon (eventual husband)

 **Other OC's featured** : Kennedy Greene [daughter of Apollo; played by Katie Cassidy], Tiana Williams [daughter of Ares; played by Keke Palmer] Dinah Foster [daughter of Demeter; played by Kat Graham] Natasha [daughter of Zeus; played by Gage Golightly]

 **Weapon** : A gold multi-shifting charm bracelet with various charms, each representing a different weapon (a gift from her half-brother Nico)

 **Gifts** : Necromancy

Can sense if a mortal or half-blood she knows is about to die

Can see/sense people's life auras

Can create fissures of hell fire, trapping people in the Underworld

Umbrakinesis/Osteokinesis/Geokinesis/Hypnokinesis/Pyrokinesis

 **Magic Items** : N/A

 **Position(s)** : High School Senior/Cafe Waitress (pre-apocalypse)

 **Small Description** : When Mackenzie was a baby, no more than a few days old, her mother left her on the front step of the King's County Sheriff's Station where a young Rick Grimes was working. He instantly fell in love with the baby and took her home, raising her as his own. When she started Jr. High, Rick was struggling with telling Mackenzie that she was adopted, a conversation that was overheard. Since then, Mackenzie started rebelling against her parents and by the time she was a senior, was planning on running away with her boyfriend whom her family hated. However, Rick was shot while on duty and Mackenzie decided to stay with her family. She's known of her demigod heritage since her Freshmen year and has only attended Camp Half-Blood for a few years. When the world ends and the dead start rising, Kenzi uses her abilities to protect her family, while keeping her secret. She will soon learn, she's not the only demigod to survive the end of the world.

* * *

 **The Day it All Changed**

 _"Demigod. A term that can refer to a minor deity, a mortal or immortal who is the offspring of a god and a human being, or a figure who has attained divine status after death. You may have heard this term in mythology or in literature. But, I'm here to tell you that it's more than that. Demigods are real, and they live right under your noses. Why do I say this? Because I am one. My name is Mackenzie Lorraine Grimes, and I am a daughter of Hades. This is my story of how I plan to survive when the dead suddenly rise and start attacking the living. It's not just me here, but my family and people I would meet that I would later call friends. Hell, I even found someone I would fall so hard for, he became the reason I wanted to live. Being a demigod is what kept me and my family safe._

 _However, my story doesn't start then. It starts a couple months before, when I was delivered tragic news that made me rethink everything I had planned._

* * *

 _My story begins in the small suburb of King County, Georgia. It's a small town, mostly farmlands, but we did have a decent mall, a few bars, a movie theater, some restaurants and two schools; an elementary and high school. I lived in a single-story house in an up-scale suburban-style subdivision with my parents; Rick and Lori, and my little brother, Carl."_

A young girl, roughly eighteen years of age with long, jet black hair that reached her waist stood in front of a vanity mirror. She wore a leather mini skirt with a studded belt, a black and purple top which exposed her midriff, revealing an amethyst jeweled unicorn bellybutton ring, with a biker jacket that had angel wings bedazzled on the back in red jewels. Her piercing blue eyes were highlighted by thick lashes, dark eyeshadow and eyeliner.

On her bed was a dog around four years of age, resembling a black German Sheppard. He wore a red-leather collar with gold studs and his information was etched on a tag that was a skull in crossbones, doned with a straw hat.

 _"That's me, Mackenzie Grimes. I'm a senior in high school and am due to turn eighteen in October. I've been in this goth-rebel stage since Jr. High, when I overheard my parents in a discussion involving me. It turns out, I'm adopted. My real mother left me on the front step of the King County Sheriff's Station where my dad was working. My mom, Lori, wanted me to know, but Rick, my dad, said it was better I didn't. After all, I was abandoned, and instead of going into the system, Rick took me home and raised me ever since. For all that mattered, I was their daughter, blood or not._

 _As for the dog, well he's not really a dog. He's a hellhound who appears in the form of a dog. His name is Akuma, Japanese for Demon. He was gifted to me by my biological father, Hades, when I first arrived at Camp Half-Blood, but that's a story for another time."_

Mackenzie zipped up her thigh-high boots and grabbed her leather knapsack and her red and black checkered satchel on her way out of her bedroom, keys jingling in her hand. She gave a whistle, motioning for Akuma to follow her. The black dog jumped down from the bed and the two entered the kitchen. Mackenzie grabbed a glass from the cabinet, fixing herself a cup of coffee. She set the glass aside and dumped a large cupful of food into Akuma's dog bowl and filled his water bowl.

"Morning sis." greeted a little boy around the age of twelve. He scratched Akuma behind the ears.

 _"That's Carl, my little brother. He's the most innocent child I've met, and he has no idea we're not biologically related. But honestly, that doesn't matter. Since he was born, I've loved him. I've always protected him. I sang him lullabies, still do. Even in my teen-rebellion, he still thinks I'm the coolest big sister in the world. And hey, I let him praise."_

Mackenzie ruffled her little brother's hair. "Hey buddy." She sat on the countertop with her legs crossed and sipped her coffee, still having time to kill before she had to get to school.

"You know mom hates it when you do that." Carl reminded.

"So." the teenager shrugged. "Not like I really care."

Their parents voices caught their attention as they came in from their bedroom. Even though they were speaking calmly, they were in an argument. "You know sometimes I wonder if you even care about this family." Lori huffed, the two adults joining their children in the kitchen.

 _"That would be my mother, Lori. She's your typical loving mother and housewife. My dad is Rick, which as I've stated before, works for the King County Sheirff Department, along with his best friend Shane, who's like an uncle to Carl and I."_

Mackenzie placed her hands on her brother's shoulders. "C'mon buddy, I'll take you to school." she led him to the front door, only to be stopped by her dad. "Wait for me in the car." The teenage girl clicked the 'unlock' button on her keyring. Carl went ahead, leaving his sister and father alone in the living room. "What were you and mom fighting about this time?" Mackenzi raised her dark eyebrow.

"It wasn't a fight." Rick corrected. "It was a discussion."

"Okay, what was the 'discussion' about?" the teenager used air quotes.

Rick ran his hands over his hair, "We'll be having a family meeting tonight, when I get off work." he informed.

Mackenzie scoffed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "The last time we had a family meeting was when you and mom told me I was going to be a big sister." she reminded. "Since then, you've been saying time and time again we'll have another one, but we haven't."

"Yeah well this time, I mean it." the deputy sherrif sighed.

"Whatever dad." Mackenzie brushed past him, shutting the front door behind her.

 _"Of course, in that moment I had no idea that would be the last conversation I would have with my dad._

* * *

 _I went through the normal motions that day; dropped Carl off at his school before heading to mine. That day we only had a half-day since the faculty had this big meeting. So, after school I went to work, which was a small cafe in downtown King County. It was there that everything changed for me."_

The backdoor to the small Mexican cafe opened, a young woman stepping out. "Okay Mackenzie, breaks over." she ordered.

Mackenzie took one last drag of her cigarette before dropping it in the ashtray. "Alright." She ducked under her manager's arm and popped a few tic-tacs to dull the nicotine on her breath. The dark-haired teen smoothed out her apron and went back to her work. She took a table's order and smiled as she headed to the kitchen.

After serving a few more tables, Mackenzie cleaned up for the next patrons who entered. She loaded up food-stained dishes, half-empty glasses, and handfuls of silverware, holding the bucket under her arm. The front door opened, sunlight pouring into the small restaurant. "One minute, I'll be right with you." Mackenzie told them, not looking up.

A man cleared his throat, getting the waitress' attention. Mackenzie turned to the front and her eyes widened, seeing her dad's partner, Shane, along with her mom and brother. "What's goin on Uncle Shane?" she asked raising her eyebrow.

Lori stepped forward, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder, her eyes solemn. "Mackenzie, sweetheart." she muttered, squeezing her daughter's shoulder. "It's your daddy."

 _"Those three words made my heart fall directly into my stomach."_

The grip the teenager had on the bucket loosened and it crashed to the floor, the dishes shattering. Her blue eyes widened and she took a step back, her boots crunching the glass. "No." she muttered. "No." Moisture welled in her eyes. She glanced past her mother and saw Shane lower his head, his hand on Carl's shoulder.

Her knees buckled and she collapsed on the floor, her hand over her mouth to suppress a sob. Tears fell down her cheeks and her shoulders heaved. Lori knelt down and wrapped her arms around Mackenzie, rubbing her back. "He was shot, but they were able to get him to the hospital." she informed. "He's in surgery right now."

Lori helped her daughter to her feet, keeping her arms around her in comfort. Shane talked with the manager, who gave the okay for Mackenzie to leave. Wiping her tears away, Mackenzie left with her family, jumping into her Jeep and following her mom's vehicle to King County General Hospital.

* * *

 _"My dad was in surgery for hours, and the majority of that time my mom spent pacing with Uncle Shane trying to comfort her. I took Carl to the cafeteria and we split an ice-cream sundae. Shane had come down to get us when my dad was finally out of surgery."_

Lori sat at her husband's bedside, holding his hand in both of hers. "He lost a lot of blood." the doctor informed. "He's comatose as of now, so we can't really say for sure how he'll be in the long run. We'll take it day by day."

"Thank you." Lori smiled softly at the doctor.

"If-if he needs blood, I can give him some." Carl volunteered, his eyes never leaving his father.

"How old are you son?" the doctor asked, looking to the little boy.

"Twelve." Carl answered.

The doctor smiled, "Well, that's awfully noble of you, but unfortunately, we can't allow you to give blood."

Mackenzie rested her chin on top of her brother's head, smiling. She rubbed his chest, "Dad's gonna be fine buddy, don't worry." she assured.

Shane cleared his throat, "I should get you kids home, it's late." he patted Lori's shoulder. "You just focus on Rick, I'll take care of the kids."

Lori nodded and kissed her kids goodbye, watching as Shane led them out of the hospital room.

* * *

Using his spare key, Shane unlocked the front door to the Grimes household, "Okay kids, uh, I'll be here if you need anything." he brushed his nose with his thumb, looking around the living room.

Carl nodded and went upstairs without a word. Mackenzie sighed and turned to the older police officer, "Thanks Uncle Shane." she gave him a one armed hug and pecked his cheek before heading upstairs herself.

Mackenzie changed into a black tank top with an anime skull in the center and dark blue silk shorts. She brushed through her hair and laid back on her bed, Akuma curling up by her feet. Her bedroom door opened and Carl poked his head in, "Sis, can I stay with you tonight?" he asked timidly.

"Sure buddy." Mackenzie sat up and Carl jumped into bed with her, laying beside her. "You're worried about dad huh?" she guessed, stroking his hair.

"Yeah." Carl admitted, laying his head on her shoulder.

She pulled the crimson comforter up around them, resting her cheek on her brother's head. "It'll be okay. Dad will pull through." she reassured, kissing the top of his head. "Get some sleep."

Carl nodded, "Love you Kenz." he muttered, closing his eyes.

The dark-haired demigoddess smiled, "Love you too, little bro." she kissed him one more time before drifting off herself.

 _"If course, in that moment I believed that my dad would be fine. I believed that he would pull through and everything would go back to normal, well normal for us._

 _I was dead wrong."_


	2. Survivors Camp

**Survivors Camp**

* * *

 _"Two weeks have passed since my dad's shooting. That's two weeks of Uncle Shane staying with Carl and I at home while mom was at the hospital with dad. During that time, there were reports of strange happenings all around the state. I was also beginning to feel a drastic shift in the world, and it made me hypersensitive to everything."_

It was early evening in King County and Mackenzie Grimes was clipping a studded leather leash to Akuma's collar.

"Sweetie, you shouldn't be goin out." Shane warned, starting his preparations for dinner.

"It's just a walk around the block, Uncle Shane." Kenzi shrugged off, opening the front door of her home. "Besides, Akuma needs his exercise. We'll be back soon." Akuma barked in agreement, wagging his tail.

Shane exited the kitchen, "I don't feel right lettin you go out there alone, especially now." he exhaled.

"I won't be alone." Mackenzie swung the door open, revealing two other teenagers and a male in his early twenties. "Ophelia, Jesse, and Travis are comin with." She stood on her tip-toes and pecked his cheek. "Be back soon."

 _"Ophelia and Jesse are my two best friends, as well as my band mates. We formed a band back the summer between seventh and eighth grade, calling ourselves 'OMJ', using our first name initials. The older man is Travis, my boyfriend. He's three years older than me and the bands unofficial manager. Maybe it was his biker look and attitude, or his smoking habit, but for some reason my parents really didn't approve of me dating him. Well, since they're keeping my 'adoption' secret from me, I date a guy they disapprove of. The four of us are planning to move out to Los Angeles as soon as Ophelia, Jesse, and I graduate High School, something my parents know nothing about."_

Travis walked by his girlfriend's side with his arm around her shoulders. "How's your dad?" he asked, glancing down at his girl.

"Still comatose." Mackenzie answered, leaning into Travis' side. "Basically no change since he came out of his surgery. According to the doctors, he's stable, which is good. I guess." She shrugged, reaching her hand down to scratch Akuma's ears.

"You know you can always stay with me, Mac." Ophelia suggested, nudging her best friend's arm. "Or, I can stay with you, it doesn't matter."

"Thanks O." Mackenzie smiled at her. "I just might take you up on that tonight. Shane's about to drive me up the wall. He's saying that weird calls have been comin in and he's strict about me and Carl only leaving the house for school. It's driving me to smoke a lot more, that's for sure."

The purple tipped blonde pulled a pack of cigarettes from her jacket pocket, along with a black lighter with a rose design, "Need one now?" Ophelia asked, holding the pack out after taking one for herself.

"Yeah, thanks." Mackenzie took one between her teeth and her boyfriend pulled out his lighter. The demigoddess smiled and held the end of the cigarette to the flame, taking a drag and exhaling.

 _"Yeah, I know, smoking is a nasty habit, especially for teenagers. It's a cliche, but I didn't smoke that often, just as a way of de-stressing. It somehow helped, especially in that particular time._

* * *

 _The following day, Shane had practically burst into the house saying we had to evacuate the town, ASAP. Reports were pouring in about the dead attacking the living and that a refugee center was being set up in Atlanta."_

Mackenzie packed all of her clothes in a large black duffle with a dark purple magic circle on both sides, depicting the twelve glyphs of the Zodiac. She was wearing tight, leather pants with a fitted dark purple lace top with the Scorpio glyph in the center, colored a lighter shade of purple and silver-blue.

Akuma stood on his hind legs, his front ones on the windowsill. He growled and snarled out the window, his muscles tensed. "What is it boy?" Kenzi asked, standing by her hellhound. She pushed her curtain back and saw her neighbors bolting out of their houses, and the neighborhood itself was trashed and reanimated corpses started shuffling in. "Shit."

"Mackenzie!" Lori called, charging into her daughter's room. "C'mon baby, we gotta go. Now! Get your stuff."

The demigoddess slung her duffle strap over her shoulder and grabbed her leather knapsack which held all of her personal demigod items, save for her hidden weapon which was the gold charm bracelet she wore on her left wrist. "Akuma! Come!" she snapped her fingers and her hellhound complied. Mackenzie looked over her shoulder at her dark walls, bare shelves and bed. Her eyes landed on her guitar and she quickly packed that up as well, zipping up the case and ran out of her house.

Shane's car skidded to a halt in front of the Grimes house, and the deputy jumped out, the look on his face solemn as he faced the family. Lori walked up to him, her hands shaking.

 _"That was the moment Shane told us that my dad was dead. I remember my heart sinking down to my stomach and I gripped the strap of my guitar case, biting my lip. Carl took my free hand and squeezed it tightly, his lip quivering. I also remember Travis pulling up to my house a moment later, with Jesse and Ophelia with him. We made plans to caravan to Atlanta, his bumper an inch behind Shane's so we wouldn't lose eachother in traffic. In any other circumstance, I would've ridden with them, but I needed to be with my family._

* * *

 _Traffic to Atlanta was a nightmare. We were still miles from the city when the sun was fully set. On the up side, we met this family that were in the next lane. They seemed simple and normal, although the man, Ed, seemed like a real asshole. His wife, Carol, was a sweetheart, albeit a little shy. Then there was their daughter, Sophia, who became quick friends with Carl. They were about the same age, and hey, we were stuck with nothin else much to do."_

Mackenzie sat on the trunk of Shane's car with her guitar on her lap, strumming a few notes out of sheer boardem, humming Simon and Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence". Her best friend, Ophelia, was sitting on the hood of Travis' car, a pen in her mouth and a notebook open on her lap, with what appeared to be song lyrics scribbled on the page. Jesse and Travis were standing by their respective girlfriends, hands in their pockets. Carl and Sophia were playing a game of checkers on the trunk of the Peletier's Cherokee.

"Are we gonna go soon?" Sophia asked, looking over her shoulder at her mother.

Carol stroked her daughter's hair, "I don't know, baby." she answered. "I sure hope so."

"I'm hungry." Carl looked over at his big sister, who'd stopped strumming her guitar.

"I know, Carl." Mackenzie replied, "We all are." She tilted her head back and pulled her long, black hair up into a high ponytail, draping it over her shoulder.

"Why don't I get him something to eat?" Carol suggested. "Ed's into all this survival stuff. We've got enough MREs to feed a small army."

Lori smiled at the other mother, "I'd sure appreciate it."

"No trouble." Carol called back.

Lori looked in her daughter's direction, watching her pull a cigarette from her leather knapsack and lighting it. She raised an eyebrow, "I really wish you'd kick that habit, baby girl."

Mackenzie halted her actions, holding the flame of her lighter inches from the cigarette between her teeth. "Well, if you'd calm down for five minutes, I wouldn't need to smoke." she retorted, lighting her cigarette, taking a drag. "When you stress, I stress." Mackenzie added, holding the cigarette between her fingers. "And when I stress, I smoke." she shrugged and took another drag, exhaling deeply.

Shane kept checking his car radio for the emergency broadcasts, but there was nothing but static on every station. He suggested to Lori that he was going to go up the road and see if anyone knew anything. Lori agreed to go with him.

Travis pulled out a large bag of beef jerky from his car and handed it to Carl and Sophia, who tore it open and shared it. Mackenzie smiled, "Gaining points with the little bro, impressive." she giggled, taking another drag. The older male smirked and kissed his girlfriend.

"Mackenzie, honey." Lori cleared her throat. "Shane and I are gonna go scout up ahead a little bit and see if we can find someone that knows what's going on. Keep an eye on your little brother for me until we get back."

The demigoddess nodded, "Yeah mom, sure." She hopped off the trunk of Shane's car, dropping the cigarette butt on the asphalt and stepping on it with her boot. She flipped her ponytail back and slipped her hands into her jacket pockets.

"I want to come with you." Carl voiced.

"Uh-uh." his mother shook her head. "You stay here with your sister." She kissed her son's forehead before turning to hug her daughter. "We'll be right back." Lori caressed Mackenzie's cheek and kissed her forehead, giving her a smile.

"Hey, we'll be back before you know it." Shane assured the little boy. "Okay, little man, huh?" He ruffled his hair before pulling his spare piece from his belt, handing it to Mackenzie, "You remember what I taught ya?"

"Yes Uncle Shane." Mackenzie unloaded the gun to check the ammo and just as quickly reloaded it, checking the chamber and clicking the safety off. "Don't shoot unless you mean it. Got it."

"Alright, your mom and I will be right back." Shane hugged the teenage girl, rubbing her upper back. "Hold down things here until we get back."

Mackenzie nodded, "Yes sir." she wrapped her arm around her little brother's shoulders, smiling down at him, before clicking the safety back on and slipping the gun into her waistband.

"Your dad's nice." Sophia noted.

"Shane's not our dad." Carl corrected, glancing up at his sister before lowering his head.

Mackenzie wrapped her arms around Carl, rubbing his arms soothingly. "Our dad's dead." she informed, still feeling the pain herself. "Shane's his best friend. He's kinda like our uncle."

 _"That very night, Atlanta was bombed with Napalm by the military, hoping it would quarantine whatever outbreak that caused the dead to rise and eat the living. Needless to say, we needed to find another safe place to hunker down since the city was off limits._

* * *

 _What ended up happening was we came across a few others who were setting up a camp up the mountains, overlooking the quarry. There was between about thirty to forty people once the camp was up and running. And, on that note, I wasn't the only demigod in that camp, there were a few others, including a daughter of Hecate named Rowena, and a little girl named Sadie, who was a daughter of Khione. A few others were there as well, but I kept my distance because I didn't want my family to know I was one, at least, not at that moment._

 _That first night, everyone sat around a campfire and we introduced ourselves and said a few things about what we did before the world apparently ended."_

"So, Mackenzie, you play?" Dale asked, motioning to the young demigoddess' guitar.

"Oh, uh yeah." the dark haired girl licked her lips, slinging her guitar strap over her chest and propped the guitar on her lap. "Ophelia, Jesse, and I formed a band back in Jr. High. O writes the songs, I compose the music."

"Why not play something for us?" Glenn suggested, lacing his fingers together.

Mackenzie exchanged a glance with Ophelia, who shrugged her shoulders but nodded in agreement, prepping her base guitar with a few warm up notes. "SOS?" the demigoddess questioned.

"Yeah sure." Ophelia agreed.

The two girls strummed a few chords, playing a few intro bars. Mackenzie began to sing, her voice soft and low. Akuma lifted his head, crossing his paws. His ears twitched as he laid back down, yawning, showing off his sharp fangs.

"Hello, darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence."

Everyone around the campfire listened to the teenager as she sang a haunting version of a classic hit. The fire crackled in the pit, seemingly swaying in rhythm with the demigoddess' singing, something that went noticed by Rowena, daughter of the goddess of Mist and Magic.

"In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

'Neath the halo of a street lamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

That split the night

And touched the sound of silence."

Carl laid his head on his sister's shoulder, craning his neck to watch as she sang. Mackenzie kept her focus on her guitar, not making eye contact with anyone else except Ophelia, who's eyes were closed as she strummed along, coming in every few lines with a harmony.

"And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share

And no one dare

Disturb the sound of silence."

Mackenzie flipped her hair back off her shoulder, the flames crackling and forming a crescent moon shape around her. Rowena tilted her head to the side, casting glances around the group, taking note of who all could see the fire's shape around the daughter of Hades. Only one mortal among the survivor's could see the crescent shape in the flames around Mackenzie, a certain crossbow wielding redneck by the name of Daryl Dixon.

" 'Fools,' said I, 'You do not know:

Silence, like a cancer, grows.

Hear my words that I might teach you.

Take my arms that I might reach you.'

But my words like silent raindrops fell

And echoed in the wells of silence."

Shane's arm draped around Lori, who instantly relaxed upon contact. Carl smiled up at his sister, who cast a glance down and the corner of her mouth curved up, smiling back. Mackenzie's eyes scanned the camp, taking in the faces of the people she'd survive with. Her piercing blue orbs fell on Daryl, who looked down at his boots. The demigoddess' heart skipped a beat the second their eyes met. She quickly looked down at her instrument, finishing the song.

"And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made

And the sign flashed out its warning

And the words that it was forming

And the sign said,

'The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls

And tenement halls.'

And whispered in the sound of silence."

* * *

 _"That night was the first of many that Ophelia and I would sing around the fire pit. I got mostly good vibes off of everyone, but I didn't know then how close I would get to a few individuals. Not to mention, I would meet the first mortal who could see through the mist that shielding all things associated with demigods."_

Mackenzie zipped up her guitar case and slung the strap over her shoulder, reaching to grab Akuma's leash. The hellhound scanned the campsite, getting his own feel for the other survivors his family was now grouped with. He padded around, sniffing the spots where a few humans were sitting. Akuma caught the scent of meat and followed it, sniffing around a brown leather bag.

The owner of the bag was Daryl Dixon, and he gaped at the large canine. "Where did you come from, big guy?" he asked calmly, slowly reaching out his hand for the dog to sniff. Akuma sniffed his hand and licked it, wagging his tail. "You belong to anyone?" Daryl turned the tag around, finding Akuma's information.

"I'm sorry." Mackenzie apologized, jogging up to her hellhound and attaching his leash. "He normally doesn't run off like that." she brushed her hair from her face.

Daryl looked down at the young demigoddess, his eyes widening slightly, "So he's your dog then?"

"Guilty." chuckled Mackenzie, who scratched Akuma's chin. "Akuma may seem big, but he's actually a huge softie. Sorry if he bothered you."

"No, not a bother at all." Daryl shrugged off. "Interestin name."

"Japanese for demon." Mackenzie informed. "Keeps people from messin with ya." she giggled.

Daryl reached out to pet the hellhound's head again, "Guess yer right."

"I'm Mackenzie, by the way." the demigoddess extended her hand, her lips forming a smile.

"Daryl." the redneck introduced, shaking her hand.

Mackenzie bit her lip as her eyes met his, "Nice to meet ya Daryl." She grinned, her eyes landed on the crossbow by the leather bag. "Sweet crossbow. Yours?"

"Yeah." Daryl nodded.

"I've always wanted to learn how to shoot one of those things." the dark haired girl admitted.

A few feet away, Shane saw Mackenzie talking with Daryl, and from her body language she was clearly interested in the older redneck. The deputy cleared his throat, "Mackenzie!" he called, getting the teenager's attention. "It's late. C'mon now."

"That yer dad?" Daryl asked.

"Hades no." Mackenize sighed heavily. "Thank the gods too." She licked her lips. "Shane's more like an uncle. He's been in my life as far back as I can remember." Sensing the demigod's emotional shift, Akuma rubbed up against her legs. Mackenzie smiled and rubbed his ears, "My dad he's-" she swallowed the lump in her throat. "he's dead."

Daryl nodded in understanding.

"Nice meeting you." Mackenzie put on a smile, wrapping Akuma's leash around her hand. "Again, sorry about Akuma sniffing around your things."

"He probably smelt these." Daryl opened the bag, revealing ten or so dead squirrels. "Must be hungry."

"Aren't we all." Mackenzie agreed.

Daryl cracked a smile, digging one of the larger rodents from the bag and holding it out for the large black canine. Akuma sniffed it before taking it gently from the offered hand, bowing his head. "He's well trained."

"Thanks." Mackenzie chuckled. "Guess I'll see ya 'round. Looks like we'll all be here a while."

"See ya." Daryl slung the strap over his shoulder and picked up his crossbow, giving the girl a nod before heading towards the tent he shared with his older brother.

* * *

Mackenzie ducked inside the tent she was sharing with her mom and brother. She sat on the cot her and her brother were sharing and kicked off her boots. Carl was already asleep beside her.

"I know it's a drastic change sweetie." Lori sympathized.

"Trust me, this isn't as drastic to me as you would think." Mackenzie replied, brushing through her hair before braiding it, tying it off with a purple rubber band. "The world's different now, it requires us to adapt if we plan to survive." She took off her long-sleeved shirt, revealing the tight black tank she wore underneath. "Night mom."

"Night sweetie." Lori walked over and kissed her daughter's forehead.

Mackenzie smiled and laid back, pulling the blanket up to her chest. Akuma jumped onto the cot, laying down at the end, his head resting on his paws. The demigoddess reached down to scratch his head before closing her eyes.

 _"That first night in camp was a real eye opener for me. The world had basically ended overnight and we could very well be the last of humanity in the Atlanta area at least. My mind reeled that night, knowing it was only a matter of time before I had to tell my mom that I wasn't completely human, and that I knew I was adopted. Everything was changing, and whether it was for better or worse, I had to accept that."_


	3. City of the Dead

**Demi A/N:** From this chapter onwards, the story will be told in Mackenzie's POV. It will follow _The Walking Dead_ TV series episodes from now on, starting with "Guts" (1x02).

 _"Italic speech"_ =Mackenzie's Voice-Over Narration

Normal font=First person POV story

* * *

 **City of the Dead**

* * *

 _"It's been two months (59-60 days) since the dead started to rise. Everyone at the camp has gotten into a routine of chores and whatnot. I would mostly spend my days playing my guitar with Ophelia for the kids, which the adults dubbed 'Music Time'. When I wasn't doing that, I was dodging the other demigods, who had chosen willingly to reveal themselves to the other survivors. My reasons were simple, I didn't want my mom, Carl, and Shane finding out that I was one, mainly because I didn't want them looking at me any differently, especially Carl._

 _However, I volunteered to go with a group into Atlanta on a supply run and I told them on the way there I was one. I also threatened to filet the flesh from their bones if they told my family what I was. When I added my godly parent was Hades, they agreed. Only one challenged me, and that was Merle Dixon. Needless to say, I preferred the company of his brother Daryl._

 _Now, with my group in the city where the dead are around every corner, this is where being a daughter of Hades was a blessing."_

I twirled my spear around once over my shoulder, pacing back and forth at the back of the department store, my eyes glued to the front. More and more walkers were gathering out front, pounding on the glass, which wasn't gonna hold forever. I narrowed my eyes and focused, halting my pacing. Slowly clenching my gloved hand into a fist, I used my ability to control the dead and blew out the backs of a few walkers' skulls. The decaying bodies just fell to the ground, but it wasn't enough to stop the growing hoard. Figures the one time I leave Akuma behind, I need him the most.

"Think you can do that with all of them?" T-Dog asked.

"No." I rubbed my forehead, leaning against the glass counter. "It's not as easy as it looks. I need to conserve my energy." My grip on my celestial bronze spear never loosened. My spear was one of many weapons I had at my disposal, which all were concealed as a charm bracelet, a gift from my half-brother Nico. For this run, I was dressed in tight clothing; black and red leggings in a diamond pattern, a skin-tight black tank top under a black long-sleeved shirt with a jolly roger in the center that had pink hair styled with a headband with various magical symbols and behind it was a magic circle with a pentagram in the center.

Merle Dixon was sitting off by the door leading to the roof, loading up the rifle we brought along in case of emergencies. Mr. Tough Guy decided since he was in the Army and was trained to use said weapon, he should be the one to carry it.

Glenn's voice came over the CB radio, "Got a guest plus four geeks in the alley." T-Dog set the CB down and ran to the alley entrance, where Andrea, and Morales were stationed.

"So darlin, looks like it's just you and me now." Merle chuckled.

"Shove it where the sun don't shine, Dixon." I snapped. "Never gonna happen, got it?"

The older redneck just bared his teeth in a grin, "Oh that's right, it's my baby brother that you wanna get all hot and heavy with, huh?" He held the rifle between his legs, giving a suggestive nod with a raised eyebrow.

I turned my back to him, sealing my spear back into it's charm state and clipped it back on my bracelet, my eyes scanning the department store for anything worth taking back to camp. I strolled over to a rack of flannel shirts, trying to find one or two for Carl. I tore a few blue and red ones for him and shoved them in my knapsack, which also held a few salvaged comic books and a couple notebooks. The notebooks were for me to write music scores in since the one I brought was nearly full, and Ophelia was busy writing a few new tunes.

Jacqui rested her hand on my shoulder, "Don't listen to him honey." she whispered. "He's just tryin to get a rise outta you."

"I don't think he fully believes the whole demigod thing." I whispered back, taking a black tank top with a skull and rose design off the rack and looked it over before shoving it in my bag. "Either that or he wants to die a very slow and painful death." The pounding on the doors was getting louder, meaning more walkers were joining the group. Between the banging on the glass and the moans, it was getting hard to hear myself think.

I closed my eyes and flexed my hand, envisioning a fissure opening up and flames shooting out. Opening my eyes, I saw that very thing happen. I slouched against the clothing rack, taking deep, slow breaths. Using my abilities took its toll on me, and if I used any more, I'd probably pass out.

* * *

Sounds of a scuffle came from the alley doors, which just added to the commotion of the walkers banging on the front doors. "Screw this shit." Merle cursed, cocking the rifle. "I'll take care of those drooling geeks."

I ran over and grabbed hold of his upper arm, digging my nails into his skin. "You start poppin off rounds up there, it'll bring more of those things." I warned, my eyes narrowed into a harsh glare. "Think Dixon, you'll be killing us all."

The only answer I got was the butt of the rifle to my face, and being shoved back into the glass counter.

"Merle!" Jacqui yelled after him. "Get back here."

He opened the door leading up to the roof and let it slam behind him. I sighed heavily and ran my tongue over my bottom lip, tasting blood. "Yeah, he's a dead man." I muttered, running after him with Jacqui behind me. "Dixon! Get your ass back here!" I yelled up the stairs. Merle flipped me the finger before he disappeared through the door at the top of the stairs. "Damnit!" I kicked the railing, the sound echoing around me.

"C'mon, we've got to tell the others." Jacqui took my arm and gently led me back inside.

I rubbed my wrist, which I used to brace myself when I was shoved into the counter. I rolled my eyes and mentally damned Merle one-hundred times over, slinging my leather bag over my shoulder. Jacqui and I ran to the others and I stopped when I noticed an extra man standing amongst them, the so called "guest" that Glenn referred to over the CB. My eyes widened and my breath hitched in my throat, noticing the tan and brown uniform the familiar stranger was wearing. "Can't be." the words fell out in a whisper.

"Mackenzie." the all-too-familiar newcomer said with a catch in his voice. His hand moved to his mouth, before he headed towards me. The next moment I was wrapped in his arms and my eyes started to sting. The sensation was so real I couldn't believe it. His hands rubbed my back and I closed my eyes, welcoming the embrace. My arms wrapped around his neck and I buried my face in his shoulder, a few tears falling down my cheeks, a single word escaping my lips, "Daddy."


	4. Escape Plan

**Escape Plan**

* * *

 _"I couldn't believe it. Even though I was in his arms, a part of me believed it was all a dream. But it wasn't. Somehow, my dad, Rick Grimes, was back from the dead, and not in the reanimated-corpse kind of way. Never have I been so relieved than in that moment when I hugged my dad for the first time in months."_

I pulled back, looking up into his eyes. "Uncle Shane told us you were dead." I stepped back.

"I'm sure he had every reason to believe that." Rick replied. "The only important thing is that you're alive. And your mom and brother?"

I nodded, "Yeah, we're all alive." I confirmed, my dad sighing in relief. "Uncle Shane got us out. Saved our lives."

"So, what were you doing out there anyway?" Morales asked.

Rick looked in his direction, "Trying to flag the helicopter."

"Helicopter?" I repeated. "What helicopter?"

"That's a load of shit, man." T-Dog shook his head. "Ain't no damn helicopter."

"You were chasing a hallucination. Imagining things." Jacqui rationalized. "It happens."

"T, anything on the CB?" Morales asked our African-American friend. "Can you contact the others?"

"Others?" Rick repeated, looking at me. "The refugee center?"

I rolled my eyes. Jacqui scoffed, "Yeah, the refugee center. They've got biscuits waiting at the oven for us."

With a raised eyebrow, Rick turned to me. I scratched the back of my head, "The refugee center didn't pan out. But, we've made due. Got a camp set up overlooking the quarry. A good forty or so of us."

"Got no signal." T sighed. "Maybe the roof."

Then it hit me, the reason why Jacqui and I regrouped with them in the first place. "Speaking of the roof-" I was cut off by the sound of gun fire, and everyone's faces fell.

"Oh no. Is that Dixon?" Andrea sighed, lowering her head.

"Yeah." I confirmed with a nod. "He loaded the rifle and went up to the roof. Tried to stop him and-" I motioned to my split lip, which had stopped bleeding but hurt just a bit. It'll heal by nightfall. Being what I am, minor injuries heal fast.

* * *

We ran through the store to the other side, making our way to the rooftop, where sure enough, Merle was standing on the ledge with the rifle in hand. "Hey, Dixon, are you crazy?!" Morales yelled.

Merle fired another shot and I shook my head, resting my hands on my hips. Everyone else groaned and yelled for him to stop. The redneck asshole turned to us with a cheap grin, "Y'all should be more polite to a man with a gun! Huh?" He jumped down from the ledge, "Only common sense."

"Man, you wasting bullets we ain't even got!" T-Dog berated. "And you're bringing even more of them down on our ass! Man, just chill."

"Hey, it's bad enough I've got this taco-bender on my ass all day." Merle shot, pointing the rifle in Morales' direction. "Now I'm gonna take orders from you? I don't think so, bro. That'll be the day."

"Dear gods." I looked down at my combat boots and shook my head. "Here we go again."

"That'll be the day?" T repeated. "You got something you want to tell me?"

"Hey, T-Dog man, just leave it, all right? It ain't worth it." Morales advised. "Now Merle, just relax, okay? We've got enough trouble."

Merle ignored him, still keeping his eyes locked with T-Dog's, "You want to know the day? I'll tell you the day, Mr. Yo." he spat, "It's the day I take orders from a nigger."

T-Dog swore as he threw the first punch. Merle fought back and it all went downhill from there. He hit Morales in the gut with the rifle before knocking T-Dog to the ground. I jumped in and got a nice right-hook to his jaw, call it payback for hitting me with the rifle earlier. Of course, the cocky Merle Dixon could never have his ass handed to him by a woman, let alone a teenage girl, so he whirled back and clocked me right in the nose, shoving me aside and calling me a bitch on top of that.

Rick knelt down in front of me as I pulled my hand away from my face, blood staining my glove. I could feel it running from my nose and I could tell it was broken. That didn't really matter though, because another one of my gifts is 'Osteokinesis', or the ability to manipulate bones.

"You alright?" dad asked.

I nodded, placing my hand over my nose and gave it a small twist, setting it properly. "Yeah, just fine." I got to my feet and spit blood onto the rooftop, turning back to the fight.

Merle held his gun to T-Dog's forehead, safety off and finger on the trigger. Thunder rumbled in the distance, signaling a storm coming. "All right!" Merle got to his feet, "We're gonna have ourselves a little pow-wow, huh? Talk about who's in charge. I vote me." Of course. "Anybody else? Huh? Democracy time, y'all."

I found the rifle he dropped and tossed it to my dad. When Merle asked about if anyone had on objection, that's when Rick spoke up and knocked the redneck to the ground, handcuffing him to a pipe. "Who the hell are you, man?" Merle yelled.

"Officer friendly." my dad answered, making me crack a smile. He took Merle's gun and unloaded it. "Look here, Merle. Things are different now." he spoke, nice and calm, though his voice did have an edge to it. "There are no niggers anymore. No dumb-as-shit, inbred white-trash fools either." That comment made me laugh, which earned me a glare from said dumb-as-shit, white-trash fool. "Only dark meat and white meat. There's us and the dead." Rick continued. "We survive this by pulling together, not apart."

Merle cracked a smirk, "Screw you, man."

I leaned down, bracing my hands on my knees, "He makes a habit of missing the point." I whispered, patting my dad's shoulder.

Merle's eyes wandered over to me, "Well, screw you too, sugar tits."

Rick re-loaded Merle's gun and placed the barrel to his temple, "Hey now, you ought to be a little more polite around a man with a gun." he reminded, cocking it.

"Only common sense." I added in a sweet, mocking tone. I noticed a pack of cigarettes on the ground and picked em up, pulling one out with my teeth.

"Hey!" Merle called. "Those are mine! Bitch!"

I lit the cigarette and took a drag, blowing the smoke in his face, smirking. I walked off a few paces, looking out at the dark clouds coming in. Rick walked up beside me, his hand on my shoulder. I glanced over at him, holding the cigarette in between my left index and middle fingers, "It de-stresses me." I defended, taking another drag.

"Nice to see you haven't changed." dad smiled and kissed my temple. He lightly touched the bridge of my nose, making me flinch.

"Yeah, mom's never gonna let me leave camp, again." I muttered, taking another long drag, slowly exhaling.

"How is your mom?" he asked. "Carl?"

"Mom's hanging in there." I answered. "She puts on a brave face even though she's internally freaking out. Carl, he's dealing in his own way." I shrugged. "Mostly he hangs out around me and Akuma or the other kids at camp." I turned to face him, "He misses you."

"Well, I won't be going anywhere." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "I promise." A smile crossed my lips as I laid my head against his shoulder.

"It looks like Times Square, down there." Andrea noted, looking over the roof's ledge at the walkers below.

My dad joined the others, except for Glenn who walked over to talk to me, "So, that's your dad huh?" he questioned, which I answered with a nod. "He seems cool. A bit crazy, but cool."

I took one final drag and flicked the cigarette out into the street, focusing on the dim flame, turning it into a miniature fireball which hit a walker in the face, igniting it before it turned to a pile of black ash in the street. "Just do me one favor Glenn, keep the demigod speak to a minimum, I don't want my dad to know." I faced him. "Like my mom, he doesn't know that I know that I'm adopted."

Glenn nodded, "Yeah, I'll keep my mouth shut." he agreed. "I'll let the others know too."

"Thanks." I smiled and lightly jabbed his arm.

The two of us joined with the rest, catching the last bit of the conversation with my dad saying something about the sewers. "Glenn, check the alley." Morales called. "You see any manhole covers?"

Glenn leaned over the ledge, his shoulders falling. "No, must be all out on the street where the geeks are." He replied.

"Maybe not." Jacqui spoke up. "An old building like this, built in the twenties. Big structures often had drainage tunnels built into the sewers in case of flooding, down in the sub-basements."

"How do you know that?" Glenn asked, adjusting his ballcap.

"It's my job." Jacqui answered. "Well was. I worked in the city zoning office."

I cracked a small smile, "Well lucky for us then." I glanced upwards at the darkening sky, "Thank you Tyche." I muttered, praising the Greek goddess of luck.

* * *

All of us, minus T-Dog who was on the roof trying to make contact with our group back at camp, found the sub-basement, and sure enough, there was a large hole in the floor leading further down.

"I really scoped this place out the other times I was here." Glenn informed. "It's the only thing in the building that goes down, but I've never gone down it. Who'd want to, right?" He turned to the rest of us and we were all staring back at him. Glenn gulped, "Great."

"We'll be right behind you." Andrea assured.

"No, you won't." Glenn snapped back. "Not you."

Andrea scoffed, "Why not me? Think I can't?"

Glenn stuttered with a response. "Speak your mind." Rick encouraged. Practice what you preach, daddy dearest. I smirked to myself, knowing if I ever said that out loud, it would not end well.

"Look, until now I always came here by myself. In and out, grab a few things, no problem." Glenn pointed out. "The first time I bring a group, everything goes to hell. No offense. If you want me to go down this gnarly hole, fine. But only if we do it my way."

"Go on then." I gave him a nod and smile, brushing my hair off my shoulder.

Glenn took a deep breath and exhaled. "It's tight down there. If I run into something and have to get out quick, I don't want you all jammed up behind me getting me killed. I'll take one person-" my dad took a step forward, "Not you either. You've got Merle's gun and I've seen you shoot. I'd feel better if you were out in that store watching those doors, covering our ass, with Andrea and Mak, since they've got the other two guns. You be my wingman." Glenn motioned to Morales. "Jacqui stays here. Something happens, yell down to us, get us back up here in a hurry."

* * *

We waited until Glenn and Morales were all the way down before we left. I continued to browse the shoe isles, finding a pair of lace-up, knee-high converse in just my size. I shoved the box into my bag and clasped it shut, making my way up front, keeping an eye on the walkers pounding on the door. The front panel was cracked and looked like it could give way at any moment, which would mean one less barrier between them and us.

I walked up to the counter up front, seeing Andrea looking through the glass at the jewelry selections. "See something you like?" I raised an eyebrow and cracked a smile. I jumped up on the counter top and crossed my legs, seeing she was admiring a gold necklace with a mermaid charm.

Andrea returned a small smile, "Not me, but I know someone who would." she replied.

"Amy?" I guessed, knowing I was probably right. Andrea and her sister were two of the closest siblings I'd met, almost as close and Carl and me.

Andrea nodded, "She's still such a kid in some ways. Unicorns, Dragons, she's into all that stuff. But Mermaids, they rule." she chuckled. "She loves Mermaids."

Unicorns and Dragons are real, for sure. As for mermaids, well, if anything, they were based off of the Sirens of my mythology. I shrugged my shoulders, "I'm more a fan of Dragons myself." I chuckled, flashing her my belly-button ring, which was a small red dragon charm. "Why not take it?"

Andrea glanced beside her, pointing out my dad, who I was well aware of. "There's a cop staring at me." she whispered, jerking her finger over her shoulder. Andrea turned to Rick, "Would it be considered looting?"

I jumped down from the counter and cracked my knuckles, yanking a scarf off of a nearby stand and wrapped it around my hand. "I don't think those rules apply anymore." I knocked the top panel out, removing any shards. "There." I grinned, wadding up the scarf and tossing it aside.

"Let me guess, she was a handful." Andrea noted, glancing at my dad before taking the mermaid necklace.

"She was." Rick agreed with a small smile.

I rested my hands on my hips, "Yeah well, the first kid is always the 'screw-up'." I pointed out. "The rebellious one, the troublemaker, yada, yada, yada." That made the three of us laugh.

However, the laughter was quickly cut short when Glenn, Morales, and Jacqui came running back to us, claiming the sewer exit was a no-go. The outer glass shattered, letting the walkers in to start pounding away at the doors separating them from us. I tensed up, gripping the counter top till my knuckles were probably white.

* * *

 _"We found a way out alright, well my dad did anyway. He found an old, abandoned construction site with some cube vans and concluded that we would use one of the vans to escape the city. However, getting to the site would not be easy, especially with all the walkers between the site and the building we were currently trapped in._

 _Of course, Rick found a way around that, and while I was impressed, I was also slightly grossed out. Needless to say, I was perfectly happy staying back with the rest of the group while Glenn covered my dad's back. The plan involved plain coats and a lot of walker guts."_

"Dad, you're insane." I said through gritted teeth as my dad hacked up a walker from the alley. The stench of the rotting corpse was enough to make even my stomach turn. Not only was the smell bad, but the sound of the bones breaking and the insides squishing was enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine.

"I am so gonna hurl." Glenn groaned, holding his arm in front of his face.

"Later." dad advised. "Everybody got gloves?" We were all wearing thick rubber gloves and long trench-coats. "Don't get any on your skin or in your eyes."

We smeared the guts over Glenn and Rick's trench coat, all fighting the urge to vomit ourselves. "Oh God! Oh jeez." Glenn whined as Andrea and Morales smeared the guts over his coat. "Oh, this is bad. This is really bad."

"Think about something else." Dad advised. "Puppies and kittens."

"Dead puppies and kittens." I heard T-Dog mutter as he and I worked on my dad.

I shot him a glare, "So not helpful T."

Glenn bent over and vomited on the floor, causing Andrea to step back and look away. "That is just evil." she shook her head. "What is wrong with you?" she directed the question at my dad.

"You suck." Glenn coughed, tensing up as Morales draped what looked like an intestine around his shoulders.

"Do we smell like them?" Dad asked, looking at me.

I nodded, "Oh yeah. You smell dead alright." I coughed and stepped back.

"If we make it back, be ready." he told me with his stern cop look.

"What about Merle Dixon?" T-Dog asked, surprisingly concerned. Rick pulled the handcuff key from his pocket and tossed it to T.

* * *

Glenn and my dad left the department store and the rest of us raced to the roof to see if this plan would actually work. Morales used the binoculars to try and locate them. "There." he pointed out, handing the binoculars to me. I kept my eyes glued to them, "Hades keep them safe." I breathed.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as the cloudes turned grey. Soon, rain began to sprinkle down before it suddenly became a downpour. I looked up at the sky, "Damn you, Zeus." I cursed, clenching my hands into fists.

Morales laid his hand on my shoulder, "It's just a cloudburst." he reminded. "It'll pass real quick."

I ran my hands over my now soaked hair, feeling it stick to my neck. In the midst of the storm, Rick and Glenn made a break for it. A couple minutes later, a white cube van sped down the streets. Glenn's voice came over the CB radio, "Those roll-up doors at the front of the store facing the street. Meet us there and be ready."

 _"We wasted no time after that. We all gathered up our bags and ran for the doors, my dad meeting us there. Glenn had driven a Dodge Challenger to lure the walkers away from the store long enough for my dad to spring us. Once we were all inside the van, Rick put the petal to the metal and we got the hell out of Atlanta."_


End file.
